Rancho Dorado is a lovely, short, easy trail which runs for a little less than 2 miles at San Marcos. It’s pretty wide with a soft surface, making it suitable for hikers, mountain bikes and equestrians do have limited access. Dogs are welcome if kept on a leash, just as long as they don’t leave any messages – so clean up!

Rancho Dorado runs along from White Sands Drive and finishes in Simmons Family Park where you’ll find restrooms and picnic benches along with a great view, in fact, just about everything you’ll need after a good walk. One of the great things about this path is that it runs by the habitat corridor at the bottom of the hill which is an undisturbed ecosystem and home to lots of native plants and animals. The White and Black Sage, Scrub Oak, Chamise and Toyon, for example, provide the perfect place to live if you’re a skunk, opossum, ground squirrel or coyote. Not to be outdone, the bird population is pretty impressive too, and if you’re lucky you might just spot a Red Tailed Hawk, Robin, Wrens, Turkey Vulture or a Red-Winged Blackbird.